I saw this comic on Facebook last week and thought: YES! That’s exactly my opinion of winter and why I’d like it if we went from Christmas straight to spring. Alas, it doesn’t work that way here in New England and we are now mired in the gloomy, grey days of winter. But you know what? We must make the best of it! We must focus on the positive! We must enjoy the moment that we have because, to put it bluntly, it’s all that we have. And so, today, our Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Ways To Make Winter Less Bleak.
- Leave the twinkle lights up – that little bit of sparkle makes everything glow.
- Watch lots of movies – the Oscars are coming soon!
- Play games. Quiddler, Phase 10, Cards Against Humanity are great ways to pass a cozy evening by the fire.
- Light scented candles. My favorite right now is one from our local candle company and it’s called Cinnamon Balsam.
- Plan a vacation to somewhere warm. I booked our trip to Mexico last week and we’ve been talking about what we did last year and what we want to do this year.
- Go to the gym. It’s bright and warm at the gym and once you get all hot and sweaty it makes the cold seem less, well, cold.
- Wear colorful hand knits. I may not love the cold but I appreciate that, as a knitter, this is my season to show off all my pretty stuff.
- Hang out at a bar with Dale. The warmth and the lights, the noise and other people, the delicious food and booze make winter seems much nicer.
- Buy fresh flowers. Tulips are on sale this week at my grocery store and you know I bought some.
- Have an indoor picnic. We’ve done this occasionally, spreading a quilt on the floor in front of the woodstove and enjoying that old standby: a jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou. It’s silly but it’s fun even if our bones do creak when we sit on the floor these days.
Those are my ideas – I’m excited to read yours, too, and hopefully find some new ways to beat the winter blahs. If you wrote a post for today please add your link below and if you’d like to subscribe to the weekly Ten on Tuesday email please click here.
An indoor picnic-fantastic idea!
Tulips, a great idea!
You’ve put together a lot of great ideas. I especially like the “go somewhere warm” ones and the indoor picnic. How I wish I had someone here to play games with!
I like the idea of going from Christmas straight to spring too. But at least the days are getting longer now and that is a joy in itself. And your ideas of tulips and picnics sound like spring!
Not bad for an amateur!
Nice list!
We’re pretty much on the same wavelength here. . . I think these bleak winter days are perfect for planning vacations!
We’re having a New England style winter this year. Dreary, gray, rainy days with little snow! Where oh where has the glorious sun gone? We’ve got to take everyone’s advice and get out of Dodge.
According to Timehop, early January is prime vacation planning/booking time for me, so I can vouch for that strategy! I love the planning and anticipation…
All the lights! All the flowers!! Games!!! Great ideas for getting through it. 😉
I love winter but wish we had some snow…sadly, none yet! We watch movies snuggled under furry blankets…lots of candles…reading by the fireplace…fresh flowers every week…friends in for dinner…1,000 piece jigsaw puzzles…card games with friends…lemonade out of lemons! Life is good!
Three comments:
It’s good that you’re still spry enough to get down on the floor – and get back up again.
My mother always said that after childhood, one appreciates snow a lot less.
Leaving the Christmas lights up until Valentine’s Day is my practice. If they stay up until St. Patrick’s Day, they’re just tawdry.
Well… I don’t have a blog… but I must chime in. I used to count the days till spring but have learned to love the winter… when it snows…. and have recently converted my beach loving niece too. She recently enjoyed an 8 degree day: 1. Skiing but then there is also 2. snowboarding 3. xx skiing (great exercise) 4. Snowshoeing (at night under the moon) 5. ice skating 6. Hiking under a blue sky and admiring nature’s ice sculptures. 7. sitting by the fire. 8. stew, chili, or soup simmering on the stove 9. plan next year’s garden 10. snuggling… but you already said that one!
I like your idea of leaving up the lights. I have a corner in my living room that I want to do that to. Great list. I had to smile when I thought of the creaking bones while picnicking on the floor. I might have a problem getting back up off the floor!
I don’t use my candles often enough. I love them, but tend to forget…
Great ideas. My beef with winter is the fact that it always seems to come right after Christmas!
I love the idea of an indoor picnic!
I love the cartoon. I have to go to the store to see if we have tulips yet! That is a good way to chase away the winter blues
Years ago, when we were both still working, I came home one day in the winter – started the fireplace going – and by the time he got home I had a blanket on the floor in the family room – a bucket of fried chicken – some cheese, some grapes. He looked at me like I was a little odd – but he enjoyed it!
Linda in VA
I love the cold, gray, bucket of suck! LOL I saw that on Facebook last week too. And also “the air makes my face hurt. Why do I live someplace where the air makes my face hurt”
A timely prompt, for sure! This year, the bleak around here is more the soggy variety vs. the snowy variety. I love picking up tulips in winter – so cheerful!
Flowers–that’s a great idea! I could freshen up my desk at school. 😉
we overlapped a lot this week (which must mean winter is winter no matter how cold, wet or white it is?!) I love the indoor picnic (and you should indulge in a bright pedicure!)